Organization and Programme Personnel Information
The Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society is a national and international non-profit organization committed to the preservation of Sri Lanka’s biodiversity, culture and environment. We have been working on experiential learning programs with local and international volunteers since 2002.
The Wilderness Experience program is based on the Society’s Outdoor Environmental Education Program and is run by Gamini and Therese De Silva.
Gamini has worked with Dr Wolfgang Dittus on the Smithsonian Institution funded Toque Macaque Study in Polonnaruwa. He was on the staff of the National Zoological Gardens as its Chief Education Officer. He has done extensive research on distribution patterns and feeding methods of indigenous snakes and lizards of Sri Lanka. He also has experience in breeding indigenous butterflies of Sri Lanka in the Butterfly Park of the Dehiwala Zoo. Gamini is one of the six founding members and a Life Member of the Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka.
Therese received her first degree in Social Sciences from the Open University of Sri Lanka. She has also read for a Masters Degree in Agroforestry at the Post Graduate Institute of Agriculture of the University of. She has completed a course in Environmental Management & Protection at the Central Environmental Authority and is presently reading for a Masters Degree in Environmental Science. She also has a Diploma in Personnel Management and Industrial Law and also has her secretarial qualifications. Therese has worked as a Student Guide Lecturer at the National Zoological Gardens where she conducted groups of school Children, from Grade 1 to Advance Level around the zoo and taught them about the animals at the zoo and about wildlife conservation. Therese has also worked with the Lanka Mahila Samithi on the Small Enterprise Development Project in 5 villages in the Kegalle District and 2 villages each in the Matale and Monaragala Districts. She has also worked for Engineering Consultants Limited as a Programme Executive. At present she is engaged as Field Office Manager of the Distance Education Partnership Programme [an ADB funded project component of the Distance Education Modernization Project] and simultaneously as National Consultant of the GTZ/IP Consult REVO Project.
In addition the Wilderness Experience program is supported by SLWCS team members who have many years of experience working with hundreds of local and international and local visitors.
Safety and Security
The program has been developed giving high priority to the safety of the participants during all field activities. Participants will always be accompanied by a fully qualified and experienced field educator or researchers. and SLWCS field personnel. The SLWCS conducts orientations, briefings, and presentations at schools or workplaces (for groups) and at the field house prior to taking participants to the field. This ensures that the participants are thoroughly briefed about field conditions, rules and regulations.
